Should naming and shaming be allowed?

Members of the public using websites, internet forums and social media to “name and shame” bad drivers and businesses offering bad customer service have been warned by Dubai Police that doing so is a crime that warrants a jail term of up to years and a fine of up to AED 20,000 (£3,320), according a report in yesterday’s The National newspaper.

Yesterday’s warning from Dubai Police was prompted after an anonymous Dubai resident, said to be a British expatriate, set up vigilante website Dubainameshame.comand Twitter account @DubaiNameShamethree months ago for members of the public to post pictures or report number plates of cars whose drivers were breaking the law through bad driving or inconsiderate parking.

The concept – to act as a deterrent for those who didn’t want to see their number plate publicised and to publicly shame those who continued to break the law – was born out of a genuine desire to make Dubai’s roads safer, and it caught on quickly with people Tweeting number plates of bad drivers and uploading pictures of cars hogging two parking spaces or parked in disabled bays. It was, however, a concept that laid itself wide open to abuse.

Dubai Police, who are actively battling to reduce the number of road deaths in the emirate from 7.11 per 100,000 in 2010 to zero by 2020, have asked that, instead of publicly naming and shaming reckless drivers, members of the public report incidences to them directly via Twitter, email or on a dedicated telephone hotline to allow them to investigate directly.

The person behind DubaiNameShame has backed down gracefully in the face of the law. The Twitter page now runs a statement saying, “Due to legal reasons we will not be able to tweet any further ‘shame’ tweets!” while the website runs an apology of sorts: “Sadly due to an unforeseen UAE law it has come to my attention that publishing pictures of bad, inconsiderate drivers on the internet through Twitter or any other site is illegal, with this in mind and in order to ensure I follow and respect the laws of the UAE, this site will now be closed while it is redesigned to promote news and events in Dubai and the UAE.”

He continues, “I believe DubaiNameShame was making a positive impact into promoting safer driving but that said I also believe Dubai Police are undertaking some very good awareness programs and initiatives that will lead to a safer environment for us all.” Let’s hope.

Annabel Kantaria is a journalist who moved to Dubai long before most people knew where it was. She doesn’t ride a camel to work; has never seen a gold-plated golf buggy and only rarely has pink champagne for breakfast.